Growing cannabis takes time, and there is no more satisfying experience for a grower than witnessing some abundant cannabis plants grow from seed or clones to tall, lush green and leafy plants. The reward of watching these lovely plants bloom is well worth your time and effort in caring for them until they are ready to harvest. A cannabis plant's growth may be broken down into five stages: germination, seedling, vegetative, flowering, and lastly budding. Numerous plant changes take place throughout these phases of development that the grower should be aware of and keep an eye on. In this post, we'll go through the many phases of cannabis growth, as well as give you an estimate of how long things typically require and what to look out for.
Plants can be grown from seeds or clones can be made from cuttings. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of seeds over cuttings while making your decision. Growing a plant from a cutting of an existing one clones it, so you know exactly what you'll be obtaining. You receive a female plant when you clone a female plant. Even though it is technically possible to clone an auto-flowering cultivar, the effort is typically not worth it because the clone produces a yield that isn't quite as good. Buy seeds if you wish to develop auto-flowering strains. You can't determine if a seed is for a male or female plant merely by looking at it unless you buy feminized seeds, which have a high chance of growing into female plants.
You must sow a large number of seeds, observe till you can tell if the seedling is female or male, and thereafter discard the males. One can't discern the strain of a marijuana plant just by looking at it, thus you have no clue what strain that seed could grow unless you knew which strain of plant it comes from. Cannabis grown from seeds are often more robust. In actuality, some cultivators will plant clones and let them make seeds in order to renew the genes of the crop.
Before you start cultivating cannabis, there are a few things you should know about the seeds. Here's a rundown:
- Photoperiod or autoflowering: Auto-flowering plants are simpler to grow since they bloom after a specified period, independent of the light cycles. If you're a newbie, auto-flowering crops are a great option.
- Seeds that have been feminized: Almost all feminized seeds offered by reputable suppliers are feminized, but double-check. These seeds have been genetically modified to produce female plants.
- Blend: The percentage of each of the three species, indica, sativa, and ruderalis, is represented by the mix. Ruderalis is existent in all auto-flower strains, and it is vital for the plant's auto-flowering ability.
- Genetic background: If the seeds are obtained from a well-known strain like Bubble Gum, O.G. Kush, or a cross-breed, the gene origin should be specified.
- Genetic background: If the seeds are obtained from a well-known strain like Bubble Gum, O.G. Kush, or a cross-breed, the gene origin should be specified. When cultivated outdoors, yield refers to the amount of grams of buds produced per sq meter of the grow outside and the same applies for yield indoors (after drying).
- Plant height when grown outside: longer than when cultivated indoors; indoors, plant height is usually less than when cultivated outside.
- Potency: refers to the concentrations of CBD and THC in a plant.
- Harvesting time: The average period the blossom should be set for harvesting.
- Effect: The sort of reaction you may anticipate from the consumption of a given cannabis strain.
Equipped with an understanding of different strains and what to look for; let’s dive in the growing phases of the Cannabis plant.
Chapter 1: Germination
Seeds need to germinate in a dark area with a temperature of roughly 70 degrees. Seeds can be germinated in a variety of ways, including soil, starting plugs, a moist paper towel, and so on. You may also directly seed them into soil in a garden or pot, provided the soil is loose and airy enough for the roots to develop and the stem to burst through. This is what you can do with our Hon&Guan 4 Inch Inline Duct Fan for exhaust air control. Sow the seeds approximately 0.25 to 0.5 inch beneath the soil then cover them with soil lightly. Most notably, seeds require a moist setting to sprout; if they're too dry, they will not germinate. In colder areas, a heat mat can help boost germination success.
The marijuana seed, once sown or placed in a germination station, breaks apart at this embryonic phase of development, and the wiry taproot sprouts in search of nourishment. The seed should be firm, dry, and darkish brown to gray before planting. Seeds that are younger are less likely to sprout quickly. The plant can take anywhere from a 6 days to eleven days to sprout out of its seed, and when it does, it is ripe to be transplanted into a more permanent place.
Handle the cannabis plant delicately while transplanting it, whether it was grown from a clone or a seed, to avoid damaging the roots. Place the plant in the middle of the container and deep enough in the soil to fully cover the root system. You can carefully pry its roots apart to facilitate outward development if the plant is root locked. Pack the soil or other growing material around the roots to support the plant as fresh roots form, but not so tightly that outward root growth is restricted. Moisten the soil surrounding the roots with modest amount of water.
Chapter 2: Seedling
The first set of characteristic fan leaflets appear when the taproot of the germinated seedling starts taking hold. This marks the start of the seedling stage of the cannabis plant's development.
2-week old cannabis plant
During this moment, the plant should be producing its initial leaves that will be used to carry out photosynthesis. Over the week, the plant will grow a little longer and start to straighten up. Fresh growths, which will be an extra leaf and the formation of extra blades on the present leaves, will also show. The leaves will be fairly tiny at first.
3-week old cannabis plant
A thriving marijuana plant will begin to turn a more brilliant green color, and the blades will begin to grow in size; it will begin to resemble a cannabis plant at this time. These seedlings will be regarded grown and ready to go on to the third growth phase after they have fully developed their primary leaves.
Chapter 3: Vegetative
A healthy Marijuana plant develops in length and growth as much as it can under the appropriate conditions during the vegetative phase. Therefore, if the plant meets the necessary growing needs, the larger the container and the habitat, the larger the plant would be. Marijuana plants' vegetative period can span anywhere between 3 to 16 weeks, or even longer in outdoor cultivation. Based on desired size of the plant, most gardeners let their houseplants vegetate between 4-8 weeks. Cannabis plants can begin blooming as early as the fourth week of the vegetative phase. As a result, these seedlings will most likely be smaller. Allowing the plants to spend more time in the vegetative stage results in larger plants that are more likely to generate better harvests.
4 to 6 week-old cannabis plant
Cannabis plants could start exhibiting their sexes by developing preflowers around week 4-6 from germination. It's crucial to understand whether the plants are female, male, or hermaphrodites. Only female plants should be allowed to grow if you want to obtain quality Cannabis buds. Male and hermaphrodite plants begin pollinating female plants hence leaving you with a lot of seeds and relatively few buds in the end.
Chapter 4: Flowering
When plants experience less than 12 hours of light every day, they enter the flowering phase. Cannabis must be entirely in dark for 10 to 12 hours in order to fully reach the blooming stage.
13-14 week-old plant
This is the transitional period. Although it isn't officially blossoming at this time, the plants will begin to prepare for bud development. Since the plant can practically double in size throughout this phase, the structure it forms throughout the vegetative phase is critical. The first feathery, white filaments known as pistils will begin to grow around the conclusion of these transitional weeks. These will ultimately turn into the buds. These pistils will begin to get bigger and darker in color as they mature. The plant's development will start to slow at this stage, finally coming to a halt as the plant's energy is concentrated exclusively on the buds.
Chapter 5: Budding
17 weeks and onward
For most plants, the last phase of blooming will have commenced at this point, and the duration of time might vary. Buds will start to develop swiftly now, and thick blossoms will appear all over the plant apparently overnight. When the pistils on the buds change color from white to reddish orange, and the trichome cones change color from translucent to creamy to opaque, and eventually amber, your plants are ready to harvest. The amber tint of the resin implies a greater CBD to THC cannabinoid ratio. More cannabinoid chemicals form when flower clusters mature, and the clusters grow sticky due to resin.
Marijuana plants in the flowering stage thrive from warm temperatures, moderate humidity, and occasional blooming nourishment. When THC levels drop, trichomes shift from hazy white to brown. While some brown trichomes are acceptable, they indicate that the plants are ready to be harvested. Harvest when half of the trichomes have become opaque, this approach is said to yield the greatest levels of THC and the least quantities of CBD.